The “Science and Faith for the Care of Our Common Home” conference began on the morning of March 21, 2025, and concluded on the evening of March 22. It was conducted at the Sacred Convent of St. Francis in Assisi. This initiative, born from the collaboration between the Cortile di Francesco [Courtyard of Francis symposium] and Arpa Umbria [a regional environmental protection agency], brings together scientists, institutions, and entrepreneurs to explore innovative approaches to sustainability and collective responsibility.
The event was introduced with institutional greetings from the General Custos, Friar Marco MORONI; Thomas DE LUCA, an Environment Councilor of the Italian Region of Umbria; Valter STOPPINI, the Mayor of Assisi; and Massimo PERARI, an Extraordinary Commissioner of Arpa Umbria. This was followed by a lecture by Professor Andrea BACCARELLI on “Environment, Epigenetics, and Health,” reflecting on the relationship between climate change and human health, a critical issue for the future of environmental policies.
“Greenwashing, as it is known,” said Professor BACCARELLI, referring to corporate practices, “is a phenomenon that exists, and we are acutely aware of it. However, it is also easy to identify. It’s easy to look below the surface and see who is truly investing in well-being and who cares for the environment, versus who is just trying to give their image a facelift. One of my goals as Dean of the Faculty at the Harvard School of Public Health is to have partners among people from all around the world. As St. Francis would have probably said ‘among all people of good will,’ and there are many of them.”
Next, Lorenzo CICCARESE from ISPRA (Institute for Environmental Protection and Research) addressed regulatory challenges related to land protection. The morning session concluded with a lecture by Nobel Laureate in Physics, Shuji NAKAMURA, Professor at the University of California Santa Barbara, entitled “Expectations from Inertial Confinement Fusion Research.” The LED technology pioneer highlighted the link between innovation and energy transition.
On Saturday morning, March 22, discussions were conducted on environmental protection from legal and scientific perspectives. Notably, the President of the Supreme Court of Cassation, Margherita CASSANO, participated in a roundtable discussion, along with Nobel Laureate Shuji NAKAMURA, inventor of LED technology. The highlight of this session was a lecture by Climate Physicist Antonello PASINI, entitled: “Communicating and Disseminating the Climate Crisis from a Scientific Perspective.”
“Becoming aware of climate change is up to humanity: it’s the first step to being able to do something about it,” said Antonello PASINI on how to address climate change. He also referred to the guide issued by the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI) for promoting energy communities. “An individual can do a lot, but at the same time, we need to build community. We must overcome the individualism that is being sold to us as the right approach. Thanks to Laudato si’, Pope Francis has given us the language to discuss energy transition and climate change in a way that engages both our rational and emotional sides.”
In the afternoon, the sessions continued in the Cimabue Hall with three discussions focusing on key topics necessary for the care of creation: “Regulatory, Operational, and Technological Challenges in Land Remediation,” “Water As a Finite (or Infinite) Resource,” and “Technologies for a Sustainable Future.”
For the full conference report, please refer to the following links:
Press Office – Andrea ROSSI
Sacred Convent of St. Francis
